Heavy Lies The Crown
by Blonde Awesome M'Jane
Summary: Jace Wayland, has a troubled past and a difficult present. He gets sent to Red-Gate Academy in England and he learns that sometimes being alone and distant doesn't make you stronger, love does... AU/AH Jace/Clary
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hi! This is my new story about J/C of course! I hope you guys like it please R and R if you want me to keep going… ENJOY!**

**IMPORTANT: In this story Jace was put up for adoption at birth. He was put through hell in foster homes before his birth father found him and took him in. (I know it sound confusing but it will make sense as the story continues!)**

**Playlist:**

**Forget and not slow down – Relient K**

**Heavy Lies The Crown**

**Chapter 1**

_**The American**_

Michael Wayland placed the pamphlets in front of his son. "Pick one." He said, it wasn't a question, it was an order.

Jace frowned and picked them up. He ran over the names of the different… schools… he opened one up and read the first few lines, _Havenbrooke Assembly: A school for troubled teenage boys. Has several disciplinary exercises for the teen to do during his stay at Havenbrooke… _Jace's eyes widened and he threw the pamphlets back onto Michael's desk. "You're sending me to military school? This is insane!"

"If you choose that one, though I would have figured you would go with the school in California…" He raised an eyebrow.

Jace stood up abruptly, almost knocking the chair over. "What are you talking about?"

Michael rolled his eyes at his son's dramatics. "Oh, sit down!" Jace grudgingly sat back down again, under his father's harsh gaze. "Now, you failed most of your semester-"

"Yup." Jace grinned at the memory. It'd been a fun year of pissing of his father just for the hell of it. He liked seeing the veins in his forehead almost burst with the tension. The punishments weren't great, but as time went by Jace grew used to the amount of violence his father would act out on him.

Michael growled. "Jace! This is no laughing matter. You have to go to summer school and catch up on your classes before you can go back to your school."

"Or what?" Jace taunted, pushing his limits, as usual.

"You will be repeating your former year," he looked at Jace with distaste, knowing that his "son" would not mind going back a class if it meant less school. "And seeing as you are _my_ son and I have a reputation to uphold. I can't have that."

It was Jace's time to roll his eyes. He should have known that his father's concern about his schoolwork hadn't been for his sake. It was always about Michael. "Couldn't you just pay them off… as usual?"

"No," Michael sighed and leaned back into his chair, crossing his arms over his chest. "You have F's in every subject except for P.E."

Jace smirked. "But I have an A in P.E. am I right?"

Michael didn't respond, but merely pushed back the pamphlets to Jace. "Pick. One." His eyes were warning to say the least. Jace knew better than to argue with him when he was like this.

He picked up the papers and went through them, one by one. He finally settled on the most expensive (as a payback to his father, even though money wasn't a problem) boarding school. It was in a whole other country far away from Michael and it seemed okay, really. It was a performance school which meant singers, dancers, painters and shit. Those classes would sure beat calculus and science.

Jace handed the pamphlet back to Michael. "This one."

Michael raised a doubtful eyebrow. "Umm… Red-Gate Academy? In _England_?"

"See, I didn't choose California." Jace smirked and stood up, calmer this time. He turned around and began walking towards the door, not turning around when Michael spoke.

"You will begin in a month. Enjoy your last month of school, Jonathan."

Jace flinched at the name and slammed the door on his way out.

…

**Red-Gate Academy**

A big sign read in big bold letters and ironically the gate to the school property wasn't red. Jace sat in the car and stared out the window. It was beautiful there, serene, green trees, damp grass, grey/blue sky with almost no clouds even though it was drizzling outside.

The school was huge. It was Victorian style castle with students buzzing around it, sitting in the grass taking it cool, chatting by the entrance, playing and laughing by the pond and just… enjoying themselves. _England _was all he could think. It was very different from New York.

The driver pulled over by the side of the castle and he turned back to Jace. "It's time to face the music, mate." The British man even laughed at his own stupid pun. _Music, it's a music school. I get it, _Jace though, irritated.

Jace's hand went to the tie he'd been forced to wear. There was a strict uniform code that consisted of a light blue shirt, a yellow and black striped tie, a navy cardigan and beige chinos. The shirt he was wearing was slightly open at the neck and the tie hanged loosely around his neck due to the amount of tugging he'd been doing the entire ride.

He shot the driver a loop-sided smirk before climbing out of the car. "Thanks for the ride, Brit." Then he leaned back into the car and handed the driver a hundred dollar bill. "I don't have any goblin money, or whatever it is you Brit's use as currency, so there you go."

The driver grinned and nodded, not taking offence. "Thanks there, mate!"

He shut the door and watched as the car drove away. He was truly stuck now. He looked around the place and noticed that no one was even faced with his presence. No one even seemed to care or notice. So he just stood there, staring out at the students.

After about ten minutes there was a tap at his shoulder. He turned around to see a small woman with graying hair and soft brown eyes standing there. "Hello, you must be our new transfer student Jonathan Wayland." She, too, had that accent that sounded so… _pretentious_! And he was basically at every social event at the Upper East Side. (Michael forced him to go.) He _knew_ about pretentious.

Jace looked the woman up and down, she was definitely a teacher. He could tell by her boring clothing and almost annoyingly chipper attitude. "It's Jace."

"Okay," she said, sharply. "My name is Mrs. Lauper. I am the Headmistress of this school and your new mentor."

"And I am the new student," he said, sarcastically, hoping to get a rise out of her.

Mrs. Lauper smiled at him, amused. "I know, Mr. Wayland. You will be rooming with some of Red-Gate's finest students. I think you will find yourself quite at home here."

"I'm sure," he murmured under his breath.

"What was that?" Mrs. Lauper asked, raising a thin eyebrow.

Jace smirked; he kind of liked this Lauper teacher. She had guts. "Nothing."

"Good. Now, I will take you to meet your new fellow students." She gestured for him to walk with her. And then began pacing forward, slowly.

He walked beside her, looking up at the sky, really taking it all in.

Mrs. Lauper broke him out of his reverie. "So… do you have any musical talents?"

Jace laughed, slightly. "Not really. I don't sing or play anything." He lied. He did both, actually, but he didn't want anyone to know that. When he sang, was the only time he was really vulnerable enough to show some of his real emotions.

"Fine, maybe you can pick up painting?" Mrs. Lauper suggested.

Jace didn't have time to respond before they had stopped by two boys, one had black hair and icy blue eyes while the other had dark hair, brown eyes and glasses. He could tell right away that the one with the glasses was a gamer. It was painfully obvious.

"Mrs. Lauper," both the boys greeted, completely in tune.

"Hello, boys," Mrs. Lauper said with a nod. "This is Jace Wayland, our new transfer student." She gestured Jace.

The boys nodded. The geek/gamer introduced himself first. "My name is Simon Lewis."

"'Names Alec Lightwood," the other one said.

Mrs. Lauper smiled at them politely. "I must be going, but I trust you two to look after Mr. Wayland."

Simon gave her a grin. "Of course."

Mrs. Lauper walked away into the castle. And Jace looked over to Alec and Simon. "So, guys, it there any fun here… like at all?"

Alec laughed. "Not really," he confessed. "It is if you like performing, though. But something tells me that an American like you has no interest in that."

"You're probably right." Jace chuckled.

Simon rolled his eyes. _Americans. _"We'll show you the dorms. You will be rooming with me and Alec. Your luggage had already arrived."

The three boys walked inside of the massive castle. It was as beautiful inside as it was on the outside. A little more boring, but it upheld the same standards. The walls were grey and all things wooden, including the floor, were a dark mahogany.

Alec showed him to all the places you could study and Simon showed him to all the places you could go to relax and hang out.

Jace had his head up in the clouds when suddenly something bumped into him. He looked down to see a small redheaded girl on the floor in front of him.

"Hey," she said in what was meant to be a harsh tone. "Watch where you're going!"

Jace couldn't help but notice how beautiful how voice sounded. He put out a hand. "It's not every day that girls fall at my feet without me even trying. It's every minute." He said, arrogantly and waited for her to take his hand.

But instead the girl got up by herself and stood tall in front of him. She was delicately built with soft curves in all the right places, beautiful red locks of hair and the most amazing emerald eyes.

"American?" She asked, he noticed that her accent wasn't anywhere near as thick as the others were. "I can't that say I'm surprised."

He smirked. "Ah. Judgy little Red aren't we?"

The girl glared. "Dumb American aren't you?" She retorted.

Then she turned her heel and walked away down the hall. She was graceful even as pissed off, interesting...

"Who was that?" He asked no one in particular. Still staring in the direction of the girl, she was the first one in… EVER to shoot him down like that.

"That, my dear American friend," Simon, who'd mysteriously popped up beside him said, "Is Clary Fray, the best singer and possibly best _person_ I know."

**A/N: Hey! I really, really enjoyed writing this I hope you liked it too! Anyways REVIEW to make me UPDATE FASTER!**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Hi, dudes! I kind of heart this chapter so I hope you do to! I wanted to thank all of you who reviewed it warmed my heart and I just hope that you'll like this. I know it's short but I'm feelin' a bit lazy and just wanted to post something new!**** R and R!**

**Playlist:**

**Shadow of the day – Boyce Avenue (This is the a cover version that I listened to when I wrote it, if you like Linkin Park better listen to their version… Boyce Avenue fits better though.)**

**Umbrella – Boyce Avenue (AGAIN!)**

**Heavy Lies The Crown**

**Chapter 2**

_**The American's way of defence**_

The first night that Jace spent at Red-Gate Academy he found two things about his British roommates. The first being that they both snored very loudly and second that no matter how much you try to block it out it is impossible to sleep.

He sighed before swinging his legs off the side of the bed. He stood up and silently walked over to the mirror in the corner of the small dorm. He stared at his dark form. He looked okay, but felt awful. Every time he looked himself in the mirror he didn't see the guy that girls fawned over and boys envied, he just saw the broken kid he really was. His hand went to his back and he let his fingers spread over the jagged scars that were on his back. No, Jace Wayland was not beautiful.

Jace picked up a T-shirt from his bag and pulled it over his head, covering up the ugly. Then he paced over to the door, unlocked it, and crept out into the hallway. The hallway lights lit up the passage way and he tried to walk as silently as possible over the old floorboards. He prayed to God that no one was a light sleeper.

He curiously tugged on door handles to random rooms to see if they were unlocked, every single one was locked. He turned into a different hallway. **AUDITORIUM STAGE ENTRANCE **it read. He frowned for a second and hesitated by the handle. It would probably be locked… so what was the harm? He pushed it down and watched in surprise as the door slowly slid open revealing an almost cinema sized auditorium. He stepped in and closed the door behind him tightly before flicking the light switch to his left. He looked over the many rows of red velvet chairs before turning to the stage he stood on. Then he saw a single piano set in the middle of the stage.

Jace sat down on the bench and placed his fingers on the keys. He took a deep breath before beginning to play. He let the music control him as he played flawlessly and skilfully. The he sang for the first time since he arrived in England.

I close both locks below the window  
I close both blinds and turn away  
Sometimes solutions aren't so simple  
Sometimes goodbye's the only way

And the sun will set for you  
The sun will set for you  
And the shadow of the day  
Will embrace the world in grey  
And the sun will set for you

Pink cards and flowers on your window  
Your friends all plead for you to stay  
Sometimes beginnings aren't so simple  
Sometimes goodbye's the only way

And the sun will set for you  
The sun will set for you  
And the shadow of the day  
Will embrace the world in grey  
And the sun will set for you

And the shadow of the day  
Will embrace the world in grey  
And the sun will set for you

And the shadow of the day  
Will embrace the world in grey  
And the sun will set for you 

He slammed close the lid on the piano before pushing out the bench harshly and stalking out. What he didn't notice was the small redheaded girl that had been sitting in the back row the entire time.

…

Jace put his breakfast tray down on the table and sat down next to Alec. Simon was off somewhere, being Simon. Which meant that he had once again managed to hack into his WoW account from the school computer. He and Alec sat alone in the cafeteria which Jace was fine with.

A tall boy with dark hair and green eyes walked over to their table with two stupid looking guys trailing after him. "Hey, I'm Sebastian Verlac," the dark haired boy said.

Jace cocked an eyebrow. "And why would I care?"

Sebastian smirked. "Well… you see, I am the bad-ass in this place and _you_… you are just a filthy American."

Jace snorted. Who did this guy think that he was? Harry Potter gone bad?

"I though you might have been a good addition to our team but now that you're hanging out with Simon and _gay_ I'm thinking not." Sebastian said and his two followers laughed. "You do know that _Alexandra _over there is gay, right?"

Alec stared down at the table, not wanting to start any trouble. Jace, on the other hand was less… accepting. Jace knew that Alec was gay and he was fine with it. Alec was a great guy no matter what sexuality. "I did know," he said.

"Oh!" Sebastian exclaimed loudly enough to make everyone turn their heads his way. "So you like hanging out with fags maybe you are one, too."

"Sebastian," a soft voice came from behind Verlac. Clary Fray stepped out, glaring at Sebastian. "Don't talk about Alec like that." Her voice gave away no fear or anxiety only fierce protectiveness for her friend.

Sebastian looked the redhead up and down before settling on her chest. "Hell-o Clary… you are looking… _fine_!"

Clary made a disgusted noise. "Oh shut it!"

"Oh, baby, don't be like that. You know you want me." He said, creepily and stepped closer to her so that they were almost touching.

After that Jace didn't really know what came over him. He just saw Clary there looking so fragile and breakable in comparison to big, bulky Sebastian. He jumped out of his chair and threw a punch into Sebastian's jaw.

Sebastian stumbled backwards away from Clary and punched Jace in the stomach. Jace didn't even flinch but was ready to return the favour into Sebastian's _nether_ regions. Jace watched in amusement as Sebastian crumbled to the floor and he didn't have time to defend himself before someone else's fist made contact with his shoulder blade. He turned around to see tweedledum and tweedledee standing there looking ready for a fight. Tweedledum caught Jace in a tight grip from behind while Tweedledee began peppering his face with punches.

"Stop it!" Clary screamed, successfully making the two idiots that had been hurting Jace to stop. She walked right up to them making herself as tall as she could possibly be with her small frame. "Let him go."

"Do it," Sebastian said, getting up off the ground. "He's had enough… _for today_."

Tweedledee and Tweedledum applied and followed their leader out of the cafeteria. Clary hurried over to Jace and placed his arm over her shoulder for support. He looked like he was about to sag together at any second. He had a black eye and his lip was bleeding. She looked over to Alec, who still sat frozen at the table. "I'll go get him cleaned up, okay?"

Alec nodded. "Sure, I'll ask the matron to excuse you from your first classes."

"Thank you," Clary breathed before beginning to limp away with Jace towards the bathrooms.

She took him into the boy's bathroom since she figured that he wouldn't be comfortable in the girl's. She sat him down on a toilet by the sink and locked the door. She took out a paper towel and rinsed it under cold water before bringing it down to Jace's lip. He didn't flinch from the pressure or even lean away from her touch, he just stared at her face. She could feel herself flush slightly under the scrutiny but kept dabbing on the wound.

After a minute she cleared her throat. "Umm… that was really nice what you did for Alec. I hate it when they treat him like that." She gave him a small smile. "And I don't really hate a lot of things."

Jace looked at her in wonder. Clary was just so… pure. She was fiercely protective of the ones she cared about but still so innocent. It was amazing. And the real truth was that he hadn't thrown that first punch for Alec. It had been for her. He really didn't the way that Sebastian had looked at her, like she was some piece of meat.

"So…" She looked into his eyes. As emerald met gold it was like nothing mattered in the world except of the two of them. "Thank you, Jace."

Jace shook his head. "It was nothing."

She bit her lower lip, musingly. Adorable. "Yes, it was. I was really rude to you yesterday and I wanted to say sorry… Sebastian had just been getting on my nerves lately… and he can really be a-"

Jace clenched his jaw. "He's a dick."

Clary laughed, musically. "I guess that's one way to put it." She turned around and rinsed the blood out of the towel before brining it to his darkening eye. "I saw you play last night, heard you sing." She could feel Jace stiffen underneath her touch.

"Oh?" He asked tightly, trying to keep his calm.

"I'm sorry," she whispered so sadly that all fear about seeing him play was blown away. How could he be upset that this innocent angel had seen him at his weakest moment? It actually felt kind of relieving having someone see the real him… especially when it was _her_. For some ludicrous reason he didn't feel judged by her, everyone else seemed to think of him as a dangerous punk. Not her. She seemed to believe the best in people, even when there was nothing good there in the first place.

"It's okay," he murmured softly.

She looked at him through her thick eyelashes. "It was so sad," she whispered. "And I wanted to tell you, if you ever need anything, I'll be there. You are an amazing artist, Jace. I would love to be friends with you."

_Friends? _Jace stared at her lovely face for a second. He liked that. He could feel his heartbeat quicken when he realized that he might actually want something more with this girl. But he couldn't do that… she was too good for him. He would never deserve her. "I would like that."

Clary smiled before handing him the towel. "Meet me in the auditorium at one o'clock. At night."

Jace grinned. "Of course, Clary."

Clary smiled back at him before walking out, leaving behind a very confused Jace to deal with his emotions.

…

Clary felt oddly excited as she settled into her dorm room, she shared it with Isabelle Lightwood who was Alec's sister and Maya Wolfe. **(A/N: Hahahahah! I'm soooo funny!) **She still had a half an hour before her next class began if Alec had covered for her like her said.

As she laid down on her bed she though about Jace. He really was a hero, an arrogant hero, but a hero none the less. She had seen the pain behind the mask he puts on and she felt for him. No one knew, but Clary's life hadn't been all peaches. Her father was a drunk who liked to use his daughter as a punching bag when he felt like it. The memories still haunted her and knowing that something similar must have happened to Jace, she felt a connection. They were both scarred from something in their past or present. She wanted them to be friends. It would truly be an honour to get to know him.

She sighed and ran her fingers through her tangled curls. _If only…_ she thought.

**A/N: Hi! I really hope you guys like this chapter so REVIEW to make me UPDATE FASTER!**

And the sun will set for you (LOL)


	3. AN and EXCERPT from chap 3

**Hello, my dear readers and reviewers! ****For those of you who read my other story Fuel to the Fire as well as this one you have probably already read an A/N from me but with this one comes a new excerpt! (This is the part where you get REALLY excited, btw)**

**So, this is me wishing all of you a MERRY C- (hold up)… I mean, this is me wishing you A HAPPY HOLIDAY! Be nice, I am still getting used to the politically correct thing!**

**I have finished the latest chapter (number 3) to this story but since I'm going out of town for C- *cough* the HOLIDAYS I won't be able to update. (I can't just post it without going through it and editing and adding, etc.)**

**So this is my present for YOU, this is a little excerpt from my latest chapter. Enjoy! **

Clary sat down in the auditorium, in the exact same seat that she'd been in the first time she'd heard Jace sing. It was hard to describe how good he was. Because even though his voice was divine that wasn't the thing that had drawn her to him. It was the raw emotion behind it. To that, she could relate.

She had heard someone at an American award show say that even though Taylor Swift was not the best "technical" singer she sang with a lot of emotion, and depth. She'd never really thought about it until now. It hit her that the walls that Jace had built around himself as armour, disappeared as soon as he sat down by that piano.

Clary found herself strangely saddened by it. For some reason that mattered to her, she was a sensitive person, she knew that. Innocent. Maybe, it was just _that_, because she was such a naïve and caring person, she couldn't help but wanting to help Jace.

At least that was what she hoped it was.

For now, all she could do was sit back, try and relax, and wait for Jace to come.

**Do you hate it? Love it? REVIEW and maybe I'll have the chapter up by Monday or Tuesday! Remember REVIEWS make me UPDATE faster. **


	4. Chapter 3

****Disclaimer: No… I don't own MI…**** if I did Aline would not be in it and Jace would never have been with that skank in the first place! ****

**A/N: Hello, as you can see I have FINALLY managed to put in a disclaimer! I'm feeling the love from your reviews and I want you to keep them coming. They really do help inspire me. I must admit, that this is my favourite story to write (as much as I enjoy writing Fuel to the Fire). But I think that everyone has a favourite, you know? And I just pour my heart and soul into this one. So, I hope you like it!**

**P.S. I was going to keep this story in Jace's POV as much as possible since F.T.T.F. is mostly Clary but this chapter doesn't feature that much of that. So, please let me know what you think. I want to know what YOU think! Yes, YOU! Leave a review telling me your opinion on the matter and I will heart you forever. **

**Playlist: **

**Breathless - Alex Goot (Amazing song! Listen to it.)**

**If only they knew – A Rocket To The Moon **

**Heavy Lies the Crown**

**Chapter 3**

_**The American's secret meeting**_

Clary sat down in the auditorium, in the exact same seat that she'd been in the first time she'd heard Jace sing. It was hard to describe how good he was at singing. Because even though his voice was divine that wasn't the thing that had drawn her to him. It was the raw emotion behind it. To that, she could relate.

She had heard someone at an American award show say that even though Taylor Swift was not the best "technical" singer she sang with a lot of emotion, and depth and that was part of why she made an amazing artist. She'd never really thought about it until now. It hit her that the walls that Jace had built around himself as armour, disappeared as soon as he sat down by that piano. It was probably the reason he didn't perform in front of people… or so she assumed.

Clary found herself strangely saddened by it. For some reason that mattered to her, she was a sensitive person, she knew that. _Innocent_. Maybe, it was just _that_, because she was such a naïve and caring person, she couldn't help but wanting to help Jace.

At least that was what she hoped it was.

For now, all she could do was sit back, try and relax, and wait for Jace to come.

She curled up into a ball in the red velvet chair, hugging her arms around her knees. Maybe Jace wouldn't show up. After all, what would he want to do with someone like her? She was pretty ordinary, not the ugliest but not the prettiest girl in the world, not the dumbest but definitely not the smartest... The one thing she had that was truly special about her was her singing. Even with that, what mattered to her was not the teachers praise or the other students' jealousy. It was the fact that it meant something to her.

"Clary?" A deep voice came from behind her.

Clary looked over her shoulder and saw Jace approaching her, slowly descending down the isle. She noticed that he was wearing black soccer shorts and navy hoodie. His golden curls that hung to just above his shoulders were mussed but still managed to look amazing. His face that was supporting a black eye still managed to look handsome.

"Hi," she whispered, not moving from her position. "So you came."

Jace's mouth twitched. "You thought I wouldn't?" He pushed his hands into the pocket of the hoodie and sat down next to her.

Clary looked out at the stage before glancing over at him. "I don't know," she admitted, shrugging her shoulders. "I don't really know much. Not anymore anyways…"

She could feel Jace's gaze on her for a minute before he replied. "I know the feeling." He said, looking away.

She bit her lip, fighting the urge to ask him what he meant. But she knew that he wouldn't tell her anything. In fact, he would probably just shut her out even more. She decided to make an attempt on a different subject. "Where are you from in the USA?"

Jace smiled, it was a small one and it barely lasted half a second but it had still been there. "New York," he answered. "Upper East Side."

Clary's eyes widened, she knew that Jace must have been rich. Red-gate academy was not cheap to get into unless you were there on a scholarship like she was. But the Upper East Side was pretty damn exclusive. Back when she was younger and living in New York she lived in Brooklyn. "Oh." She murmured.

"Yup," he replied quietly. "And it's even worse than you could ever imagine it to be."

Clary let out a small laugh. "I don't know. I never did see the problem of having a lot of money, but then again, I'm not rich." It was a half-truth, really.

"You wouldn't like it," he said, conviction in his tone. Then he looked at her, his captivating golden eyes catching her green ones. "Trust me."

Clary's breath caught in her throat. Even when- no, _especially_ when Jace wasn't even trying look good he was looked amazing. She could see the fire burning behind his tawny eyes. The sadness, the hurt and the anger. She wondered why no one else seemed to see it. She could only guess that no one looked closely enough to find it, and those who did see it only wrote it off and one thing. _Trouble. _

"Why did you come here?" She asked, turning her gaze down towards her knees. "To the school, I mean."

"I-" Jace began but then seemed to think better of it and said. "My grades weren't good enough. It was this, or summer school."

Clary could sense that he was holding something back but she didn't push him.

"Why did you come here?" He asked curiously.

Clary's heart skipped a beat. Why had she asked him that question? Of course he'd ask about her! And she wasn't ready to tell him. She quickly untangled her limbs from each other and stood up, turning her face away from him and brushing past him. "Umm, I came for singing, and I should go… get some sleep. We have assembly tomorrow."

Jace stood up after her. "Assembly?" He questioned cocking an eyebrow. Clary couldn't help to be jealous of that, she'd never been able to do it herself and it just looked so damn cool!

Clary nodded. "Yes, every week we have this huge thing where all the students gather," she gestured the auditorium, "in here. We have these little competitions to make us more competitive. And believe me. It works." She said, rolling her eyes.

Jace looked at her, genuinely curious. "Are you going to be in it?"

Clary gave a little snort. "Depends…"

"On what?" Jace said in a daring tone that forced Clary to repress a shudder.

"Whether I feel like kicking every ones asses without even trying." Clary said, returning the arrogant smirk that he'd used on her. Then with a last look at him she turned away and moved down the isle towards the exit.

"Sit with me!" She heard Jace call.

She glanced over her shoulder at him, confused. "What?"

The corners of Jace's moth twitched. "Tomorrow. At breakfast."

Clary gave him a swift nod before walking out the door without a second glance back.

…

Jace sat down in the cafeteria, not so discretely looking around the room, searching for a certain redhead. He could almost feel every ones eyes on him, but for once he didn't care. It really didn't matter what the other students thought about him, it only mattered what she thought. And hopefully, she wasn't thinking bad things.

He knew that he was being selfish, befriending a girl that, no matter how happy and carefree she seemed, had problems when he could barely even keep himself together. But every one had issues, right? He could see that other people might not see it like that. Because, when you first see Clary you see a delicate flower, fragile and in need of constant protection, which might be true physically but after speaking with her, getting to know her just a little bit better, he found out that she had a strong mind. She was brave, foolishly so, standing up to Sebastian for Alec's sake. Even though he never asked for it in the first place. She was an amazing friend, no one that Jace would deserve to know.

Yet, when he saw a glimpse of fiery red hair he didn't move out of his seat and walk away like he should have. Instead he pulled out a chair and gestured for her to sit.

Clary flashed him a bright smile before taking the seat. "Hey, Jace."

Jace flashed a winner grin before replying. "Hi, Red-Gate!"

Clary let out a musical giggle and Jace couldn't help but laugh with her. "Red-Gate?" She asked.

Jace snorted as if this was a no-brainer. "Well, duh! Since you are the most talented person in this place I figured I would give you the title. Plus, you have red hair." He explained slowly as if speaking to a child, when really it was him who was being immature.

"Oh," Clary said sarcastically nodding her head. "I see… so I can call you New York Asshat?" She smirked, not anywhere close as menacingly as Jace could but she did okay.

Jace pretended to be offended, placing a hand over his heart in outrage. "How dare you!" Then he winked. "And, yes, I know my ass is super fine."

Clary gave a little exasperated laugh. "You really are something, aren't you?"

Jace's smile faded a bit when he answered. "Oh, you have no idea."

Clary shot him a questioning glance but she didn't say anything. Jace was grateful for that, for some reason she always seemed to know when he didn't want to talk about something.

"So…" Jace drawled, noticing that she didn't have a tray of food in front of her. "Aren't you eating anything?"

Clary shook her head. "Nope, I'm in the assembly and we get to eat breakfast later, we're what you would call VIP."

Jace grinned. "So I'm finally going to hear you sing."

"I guess you are," Clary replied, looking straight at him. "Prepare to be amazed."

…

Simon Lewis was many things, dedicated gamer, dedicated student and dedicated friend. Friend, he reminded himself as he approached the table Clary was sitting at with… _Jace? _Simon frowned. He stopped walking and watched them in a shocked silence. Clary was giggling, a fair red colour he'd come to know very well rising up her cheeks. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Jace laughing, his golden eyes glued on Clary, watching her with something like wonder in his eyes.

Simon also noted the way Clary looked at Jace, almost dazed. Just like all the other girls in the school looked at Jace. But Clary wasn't any other girl. She was _Clary Fray _the best singer at the school, in Britain, according to Simon at least, and even though he was sure Clary had never told anyone, he knew that she was nervous every single time she got up on the stage.

As Simon turned around to return to his room, the one he shared with _Jace_, he though about ways that he could outshine Jace. What did he have that Jace didn't? Awesome looks? No. Good fashion sense? No. Brains? Yes. But being smart wasn't a great asset. But singing on the other hand… Yes, today Simon would show Clary just how talented he was. Then, maybe she would forget about Jace.

Not at the assembly though. He would have to do it sometime he knew for sure that Clary would be listening…

**A/N: Ugh, Simon, why are you so **_**dumb**_**? (I know that's totally how you just said that in your head.) Anyways … Thank you guys for your awesome reviews! Now I have a favour to ask… I have a lot of singers in mind for what I want Clary to sing but **_**what do you want? **_**If any of you pick one of my favourite's I'll be sure to give you a shout out in the next chapter! Remember REVIEW to make me UPDATE FASTER! See you next time!**


End file.
